Outreach

All this week at the [http://www.intech-uk.com/news/?pid=1&nid=2&storyid=30 Intech Science Centre] near Winchester you can meet a cosmologist from ICG. Events are being held to celebrate World Space Week, with special school visits during the week, an "After Dark Event" just for adults this evening, and special events running for the public all weekend.
World Space Week at Intech
Our new Outreach Officer, Dr.

This summer, ICG played host to two local A-level students who were able to spend 4-6 weeks working at ICG thanks to winning [http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/science-bursaries-schools-and-colleges Nuffield Foundation Science Burseries].
2012 Nuffield Students Ed and Owain (middle) with their scientific mentors Karen and Diego.
ICG scientist, Dr. Diego Capozzi hosted Owain Larcombe from Barton Peveril College, in Eastleigh, while Dr.

The 25th July 2012 edition of the Naked Astronomy podcast features an interview with ICG's Dr. Karen Masters recorded at the National Astronomy Meeting earlier this year. In the interview Karen talks about how she uses classifications from Galaxy Zoo to carry out scientific research and some of the questions about galaxies that she's trying to answer.

Earlier this week 13 different members of the ICG took part in Spinnaker Tower’s “Aim High for the Summer” event. As part of the Inspire week students and researchers spoke to about 400 different people about their work and how they became scientists.
Members of the public young and old were also invited to look through the department’s telescope and then try and figure out how it worked. They also got a chance to build a universe out of building blocks, and see how the basic elements were formed in the very early universe.

The 2012 ICG/SEPnet Postgraduate Student Outreach Award was awarded to Dominc Galliano, for significant effort in outreach activities at ICG, including his involvement in Think Bigger workshops, BBC Stargazing LIVE 2012, events at the INTECH Science Centre, Spinnaker Tower and activities with the British Science Association.
Dom on a steam train at BIG (Credit: Maricar Jagger)
The prize gave support to Dom to enable him to attend the British Interactive Groups annual BIG Event which was held in York’s Nation

ICG students and researchers are participating in an event at the Spinnaker tower next week to encourage children to think about what they want to be when they grow up. Details below and [http://www.spinnakertower.co.uk/whats-on/12-05-29/aim_high_for_the_summer.aspx on the Spinnaker Tower website].
What do you want to be? From Aug 13-16th, children who visit the Spinnaker Tower dressed as whatever they want to be when they grow up, can visit for free when accompanied by a full paying adult! (One free child per full paying adult.

Yesterday ICG and our collaborators at the Zooniverse ran a workshop for teachers to introduce some new tools and ideas for using Galaxy Zoo and other Zooniverse citizen science projects in the classroom, and introduce school children to doing real science online.

Video of Bob Nichol explaining the technology behind astronomical surveys. This video was made by University of Portsmouth CCI students as part of their final project for their degree (thanks for Allen Jennings, Alejo Martinez-Sansigre, and Sammie Wernham).

Members of the ICG run a workshop on exoplanets last week as part of the University wide [http://www.upforitclub.org.uk/ UP for It Club]. The workshop covered many different topics from stars, galaxies to different exoplanet detection methods. 29 students from Christ the King, Isle of Wight and Charter Academy, Portsmouth took part. The students were split into groups and made models of different known exo planetary systems.

Tune in to [http://www.bbc.co.uk/solent/ BBC Radio Solent] (96.1 FM) during Drive Time today (around 5.50pm) to hear ICG Co-Director Prof. David Wands explain the significance of todays announcement of a detection of the Higgs Boson.
David Wands
Read more about the breaking story of a likely detection of the Higgs Bosun on the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18702455 BBC Website].